Nightingale (Revised)
by NightShade1002
Summary: Nightingale's song is a sign or warning of an impending death. With its natural ability to sing, it symbolizes a creative individual who is unearthing potential. It could also refer to someone who has taken up the responsibility to bring about a change. Will it mean the same for the one who's trapped in the sacred grounds? All the rules are going to change.


Sachiko I beg of you. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

As I came into consciousness the pounding and absolute aching of my head followed, it felt as if my skull was being split in two like a melon having been dropped from a great height. Everything around me seemed to spin in a blurry tango, I felt dizzy without even attempting to stand on my feet.

A low moan of pain escaped my lips as I tenderly rubbed the aching spot, using my free hand I pushed myself into a sitting position and flinched as I felt the old wooden splintered floor dig into my bare knees. Slowly but surely I opened my eyes and for a second the world was blurry around me until a few seconds of squinting solved that issue, however, I soon regretted the simple action of opening my eyes as once I had I only slammed them shut almost immediately after. To start shaking my head in furious denial. The sight I had seen wasn't possible, or rather it was the sight only visible in someone's nightmares, not something that someone like me would see.

 _'There's no way...'_ I wanted to continue to deny it, to deny it and everything that laid before me. However, the smell of rotting wood and something much too sour solidified the reality of the situation. Breathing the disgusting scent in deeply, and keeping my eyes stubbornly closed for as long as I could, I quickly stood up ready to assess where I was. Taking another deep breath I clenched my teeth together readied myself for the inevitable. I was still shaking slightly I eased open my eyes again and took a look at my surroundings before I lost my courage to do anything.

The room was littered with a multitude cracked and broken chairs and desks that had certainly seen much better days. The plaster of the dark cream-colored walls had chunks missing, with cracks ranging from the tiny hairline fractures in bones to deep gaping ones that made me wonder just what caused this; years upon years of decay. It began from the left side of the room, much like glass having been hit with a baseball would, to right of the room all of it resembled a what happens during an earthquake.

Even the deep red of the painted floorboards had large pieces missing from the main floor, it was wide and yawning. Looking cautiously down into the holes were nothing short of terrifying, especially for someone who had a deep fear of heights. Those chunks missing of the floorboard made it look like the inside of the earth had all but vanished, as a deep dark abyss took its place; seeming to go on forever never to be found again. Steadying myself I tried pushing one of the many windows in the room to find it completely sealed off, not like locked or bolted but completely fixed in place like. . . . . like a decoration or a super glued model. Swallowing down my terror I made my way to the door the only thing that looked like it hadn't been in a disaster. My footsteps sounded unnaturally loud in the noiseless atmosphere of the classroom, finally I made my way to the door and hesitantly put the pads of my fingers on the rough surface of the smooth and clean looking door I was almost afraid of what would happen if the door turned out to be just like the windows, silently I hoped for the best. It slowly and reassuringly creaked open. I let out a quiet breath of relief, then like an easily startled deer I eased out hoping desperately that the hallway wasn't like the classroom and that I could find a way to escape. " I wouldn't do that if I were you." said a deep raspy but oddly teenager voice that cut through the eerily still air.

I spun around to find the source of the voice hoping against hope that someone was with me in this creepy abandoned school. "What the?" I questioned in confusion. Floating there over the gaping holes in the floor was a beautiful flame with all sorts of shades of blue dancing in the air. "Going out there I mean... you are practically putting yourself on a silver platter." The raspy voice continued "What the hell are you talking about? What exactly is out there that's gonna hurt me?" I snapped putting on a brave facade that quickly crumbled into desperation. "Because you stupid child there is a monster out there and it will stop at nothing to get you and make you suffer and make you wish you were dead, you are better off staying in here. Better to starve to death than to go through that torment that lies just outside those doors."

He finished his mini speech without sounding the least bit winded by it. Gathering my courage I asked yet another question, "What is it, what lies out there, and where am I?" I asked desperate for any kind of answer, the flame spirit thing only seemed good at weaving riddles that I couldn't get my head around. A dry chuckle permitted from the flame as if he was taking enjoyment of my cluelessness, "Stop laughing! I'm trapped in this place and I have no idea who you are and what's going on! All I want is some help in this god-forsaken place!" I snapped, silence followed right after my loud and venom-laced words. I was beginning to think he would never answer and that I had silenced him for good until. "What is your name child?" This time his voice seemed to have spoken more softly making his voice seem deeper and more manly like. "Aoi...Aoi Masumi." I too said this quietly his voice seeming to instantly calm the anger that had been burning through me like a wildfire in a forest, it was almost as if I too was afraid to raise my voice again just as I remembering his earlier warning. "Right well my name is or... was Rin, just Rin. You said you wished for help in this place, yes?" I answered quickly. "Yes!" "Well I am willing to help you, not escape, it's impossible to escape this place it is a trap for all who dare to enter, but I will help you to survive to thrive in here unlike the unlucky ones. Those who have died here are left here for all eternity with the pain they felt when they died, however luckily for me when I met my demise, it was relatively painless so I have a clear conscious." Needless to say, I was shell-shocked all I could do was try to focus on Rin's explanation and pray that this was going somewhere. He continued on unaware of my inner thoughts. " This place is full to the very brim of death, ghosts who have died painfully, and an evil that will never cease. I said before I would help you-" I cut him off before he could continue " Yeah you said that, but what will the cost be? What do I have to give up for your help? My soul, what?!" I didn't quite believe that this proposition would come for free, nothing in life it like that. Everything has a price.

The flame itself seemed to be surprised at my dialogue before saying. "All you must do is continue to do is not be corrupted. You can do what you must in order to survive. Don't have to help everyone who crosses your path, just lay low and live. Even **kill** if you must." At first, I recoiled, killing was not something I wanted to do. In fact, I had always been a pretty peaceful person, not stepping on too many people's toes, of course, that was due to the fact that my presence hardly mattered.

Still, the fact remained, if what Rin said was true I wouldn't last too long out there. But maybe just maybe...I could weasel my way out of killing, after all, if I keep my wits sharp and just stay alive I wouldn't need to hurt anybody. I thought about his terms for a moment longer chewing anxiously on my lower lip, I had to admit I was curious to how he was going to go about this but doing this, as it would require a certain level of trust that I didn't have for him yet. But soon enough, my sigh of defeat came, as my logical side won once again over my emotional one and led me to the conclusion that it was best for me if I had him to guide me as I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

I fiddled with my long dark brown braid that rested over my shoulder and made my choice. "What must I do?" I tiredly rasped out. "Just agree or say yes, and then you'll see what happens."

 _'I'll see what happens? What kind of fool did this guy see me as?'_ I wanted to open my mouth and give the seemingly smart ass flame a piece of my mind, or if I found it a bucket full of cold water and see how he liked it when his life was in someone else's hands. Though I did suppose that the guy had room to act like that, he was dead and returned as a spirit after all; the last thing he'd want to deal with was a smart mouthed little girl throwing buckets of water on him.

Once again I had my doubts about what was about to happen after all ' _See what happens_ ', isn't a very descriptive way to get someone to agree to something you want especially if I was going to be risking my life. Sucking in a deep lungful of air I readied myself and grumbled out with more grumpiness than I should to someone who 'helping' me, "Fine...I agree to your terms." The reply was immediate, if not a little sour. "Are you sure? Should you change your mind this couldn't be undone with anything of your or my world." For a second he almost sounded a little surprised that I had agreed so easily, and without much of a fuss. It made me inwardly smirk a little bit at this and I took comfort in the fact that he could actually feel some sort of emotion like, it made him seem more human in a way. Not just a big ball of blue flames. "I will repeat myself since you're hard of hearing, I agree with whatever is about to happen. I hear, accept and understand the terms of which you've given me."

Not even a second went by as I felt as if every pore in my body was in constant agony, I felt like I was being ripped open by a wild animal before a liquid fire was poured under my skin setting my organs and entrails aflame. I wasn't spared from any of the pain, I felt it all and it made me want to simultaneously cry and slam my head into the walls until I was graced with blessed unconsciousness.

Faintly, I could hear the snaps and loud cracks of my bones being reshaped as they were broken all in the manner of seconds. Or maybe it had been hours, honestly, that was how long it felt as if this had gone on. I wanted to curse at Rin, to call him every name under the son, _'You'll see?'_ He had wanted to fucking torture me before casting me into the abyss he had floated over, was that it?

Anger filled my mind for a short moment as the rusty taste of blood soon filled my mouth for unknown reasons, not screaming was certainly out of the question now as being doused with fire ants would definitely be more merciful. All I wanted was for the terrible pain to stop, but a deep instinctual part of me excepted what was happening and encouraged it. The hazy sea of agony only spread and I could see the sweet darkness of unconsciousness encroaching on the edge of my vision when the pain began to fade slowly leaving a terrible ache behind. I let my conscious fall into the much-needed bliss as I heard his voice one last time speak in my mind "Sleep child, you have earned it." With that said I lost all awareness and fell into the darkness.


End file.
